The present invention relates to a load port apparatus and a method of driving the same.
In a manufacturing process of semiconductors, wafers are transported between processing devices using a wafer transportation container referred to as FOUP, FOSB, etc. The wafer transportation container includes a main opening for taking in and out wafers and a lid for closing the main opening. The wafers in the wafer transportation container are stored in a sealed space by the lid.
When the lid of the wafer transportation container is opened to take out the wafers from the wafer transportation container and introduce a cleaning gas from the main opening of the wafer transportation container thereinto, used is a load port apparatus for connecting the wafer transportation container with a wall opening. When the load port apparatus is used, the internal space of the wafer transportation container can airtightly be connected with another space, such as minienvironment, via the opening, and the wafers in the container can be taken in and out therefrom while the wafers are being isolated from other spaces in the semiconductor factory.
As a technique of preventing a positional displacement of the wafer transportation container, such as FOUP, proposed is a load port including a pressing arm configured to be engaged with an upper part of a FOUP (see Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: JP2010098121 (A)